ATU announces preliminary fall enrollment figuresStrengthened by a milestone year for its Graduate College, Arkansas Tech University announced a preliminary fall 2017 enrollment of 11,801 students on Sept. 8. Enrollment at ATU is steady as compared to one year ago, when the institution was home to 11,894 students for the fall 2016 semester. Included in the preliminary fall 2017 enrollment are 1,048 graduate students, an increase of 24.6 percent over fall 2016. This fall marks the first time ...

Catfish shouldn't be taken for grantedCatfish are a staple on the dinner tables of a large number of Arkansas River Valley residents as well as families throughout the south. So it is no wonder that catfish are one of the most pursued game fish in the Natural State. I think a good number of us take for granted how easy it is to get a mess of catfish even if they are not biting, just by heading to Mackey's Fish Truck or Browns or any other fine establishment in town that cooks catf...

Bond hearingsThe following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings on Wednesday and Friday before District Judge Don Bourne. Their names, ages, anticiapted charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear in Pope County Circuit Court at a later date. Jeffrey W. Chenowith, 33, possession of firearms by a certain person -- own recognizance. Autin H. Byrd, 19, theft of property -- $10,000. James T. Linzy, 37, failure to appear -- $100,00...

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Compiled by Courier staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Video visits to start soon at county jailFriends and family members can visit inmates inside the Pope County Detention Center (PCDC) Wednesdays and Sundays, with some on Thursdays. That will change next month when the county jail implements a video visitation system that will improve safety and do away with any contraband people try to smuggle into inmates. Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones said he and jail officials had talked about video visitation for the past four months. At least ...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Helping over 500 homelessCrazy, amazing and really awesome were some of the words Russ Bus director Fred Teague used to describe the journey to Texas to help the homeless after Hurricane Harvey decimated the Lone Star state. Teague explained one of the things The Russ Bus does is to add value to people's lives and try to give hope. He asked Russellville to help Sept. 1, when he took specific items for donations at The Journey Church and loaded them into a truck headed...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Local students visit Kidz FarmSaturday was the last opportunity to attend the 2017 Pope County Fair. Activities concluded with Johnny Lee as entertainment. Friday, students from local schools across the River Valley attended the Pope County fair grounds to pay a visit to the livestock animals. Groups of students took turns rotating through different stations manned by 4-H volunteers to learn more about the animals — horses, goats, pigs, chickens, calves, rabbits and sheep.

100 pounds of pot recovered on I-40Arkansas State Police recovered around 100 pounds of marijuana from U.S. Interstate 40 on Tuesday after stopping a U-Haul for swerving onto the right shoulder several times. According to a police report, the vehicle was stopped near the 75 eastbound mile marker at approximately 8:03 a.m. After allegedly noticing an odor of marijuana emitting from the passenger window, the trooper initiated a search based on probable cause. According to the rep...

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BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
simpson@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Corps of Engineers gives Clarksville 'four' ratingCLARKSVILLE — The Clarksville City Council passed a state increase in minimum bid amounts, levied taxes and passed an adjustment regarding the Clark Road project during its regular meeting Monday. Recently the state of Arkansas increased the minimum bid amount allowed from $20,000 to $35,000, which the city council accepted. Clarksville Mayor Mark Simpson said one concern discussed was the increase could potentially hurt the local economy. Tho...

Ex-school treasurer charged with theftCLARKSVILLE -- A former treasurer with the Johnson County Westside School District was recently charged with five counts of theft of property which totaled over $178,000. David Gibbons, prosecuting attorney for the Fifth Judicial District, confirmed that Brandi Freeman, who was district treasurer for nine years until her resignation in March, was charged in Johnson County Circuit Court documents with five counts of theft of district funds. Two...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Atkins CC talks trash serviceATKINS — A proposed building and the city’s contract with Lee’s Trash Service was discussed by the Atkins City Council during its regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall. The council received a letter from Tony Lee, owner of Lee’s Trash Service, about buying property just outside the Atkins city limits off U.S. Highway 64. Mayor Jerry Don Barrett said that it would actually be in the county, but aldermen had no objections. The mayor added the Atk...

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Sean Ingram sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Foundation sponsors annual fundraising galaDOVER -- The Dover Public Education Foundation's annual fundraising gala is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the Dover High School Cafeteria. The featured speaker is Johnny Key, state commissioner of education, a position he has held since 2015. Key holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. He served as associate vice president for university relations for the University of Arkansas system from 2014-2015, as a mem...

Car seat checkup slated for Sept. 23Parents of young child can have a free car seat inspection from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2409 E. Main Street in Russellville on Saturday, Sept. 23. Trained professionals will be on hand to help evaluate the car seats, to see if they are installed correctly and to answer any questions parents may have. The event is organized by the Arkansas River Valley Circle of Friends and the Russellville Police Department. The organizers of the event ask parent...

Committee discusses flooding, ATU planThe Russellville City Council Finance Committee got an update on a couple of flooding issues and eventually tabled any action on the proposal from Arkansas Tech University to buy the Public Works property on North El Paso Avenue during its regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall. They also learned that City Engineer Kurt Jones contacted the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) and started looking into flooding issues in the area of O Str...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Maher set to perform at UofOCLARKSVILLE -- Eight-time Grammy-nominated contemporary Christian singer and songwriter Matt Maher will perform a concert at University of the Ozarks on Friday, Sept. 22, as part of the university's 2017-18 Walton Arts & Ideas Series. The concert, which begins at 6 p.m. on the campus mall, is being held in conjunction with the university's Family Weekend. The public is invited to attend and there is no cost for admission. Guests are encouraged...

Authorities: Teen sneaked through minor's windowLandon J. Worsham, 18, was arrested after police said he snuck through the window of a 14-year-old female's home to have sex. According to a police report, the victim told police she had consensual intercourse with Worsham, whom she claimed to have met at a basketball game while she was in the eighth grade. At the time, Worsham was 18 and a high school senior. Worsham and the victim allegedly communicated through texts and Instagram without he...

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Courier staff reportsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Water tank design gets a green lightDARDANELLE — The Northeast Yell County Water Association discussed a new water tankplanned for the Ard community during its regular meeting Tuesday. During the June meeting, the new water tank was still in the design process. In an update, Brandon Carter, association manager, said the the design has been approved and they will begin submitting for approval from the state Health Department. According to Carter, Ard is one area that is growing a...

Log a Load For Kids ahead in fundraisingThe River Valley Log a Load For Kids annual event was conducted Saturday at the L.V. Williamson Boys and Girls Club in Russellville. The Arkansas Log a Load For Kids committed to raise funds for Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). The River Valley chapter, now in it’s ninth year, served roughly 500 meals and saw over 550 attendees at the event. “It [turnout] was about what it usually is,” Allen Farley, committee chairman, said. “We did have so...

Consumer Alert: EquifaxLITTLE ROCK -- 143 million. That is how many U.S. consumers Equifax says could potentially be impacted by a data breach that occurred in mid-May and lasted until July 29 when the company discovered it. Since Equifax announced the breach last week, the Attorney General's office has received a number of calls from concerned Arkansans -- and hopes more will do the same. Arkansans can visit ArkansasAG.gov to get the latest information about breach...

#todayThe Pope County Fair will continue all day today at the Pope County Fairgrounds. There are animal shows, 4-H demonstrations, horticulture displays, rides, games, live music, arts and crafts, food and commercial vendors with various arts and crafts for sale.